Snowball
by TakeHeart
Summary: [Oneshot] Secretly, Tezuka was relieved that Echizen held such great dislike for Atobe. TezuRyo, AtoRyo, and AtoTezu hints. Manga spoilers. Slight crack.


Standard Disclaimers Apply

A/N: **Warning: Manga spoilers up to chapter 305**

Written for knw.

* * *

Secretly, Tezuka was relieved when Echizen had shaved off Atobe's hair, and he did nothing to stop Echizen's actions.

Because this meant that Echizen (still) despised Atobe. At least, this was what Tezuka concluded.

He knew he wasn't the only one who had been in awe at their match. Both of them had put so much, _so much_ into their play; one as captain of Hyoutei and the other as pillar of Seigaku, both fighting for their schools to secure a place in the Nationals. They had displayed such will and power and determination that shook the courts and made Tezuka's heart thump wildly against his chest.

And he had seen their connection, the moment their match started. Their eyes intent on each other, focused solely at the opponent behind the net, watching every action each took; observing, analysing. They gave everything that they had to each other-- the match, and he had seen their smirks and looks of satisfaction.

Tezuka had felt his fingernails dig slightly into his palms, had felt himself swallowing the lump in his throat.

He ordered himself to run laps when he felt that feeling of dread subside as he watched the strands of hair fall.

---

_"Hmm... I'd say you look better, way better with this new haircut that I gave you." _

A hiss. Then, "Brat."

---

Things were going well. The regulars were in top form, spirit was high, the Nationals were in reach, and Tezuka had successfully forgotten about Seigaku' s match against Hyoutei-- _that_ match, for that day.

Until Echizen came to practice late, with his head shaved and cap pulled low.

"Ehhhh!" There was a huge response from everyone and they crowded around the freshman regular, pounding him with questions, demanding answers.

"Everyone! Back to practice!" Tezuka's shout came out a little softer and a little higher than usual. His lips were parched and his throat dry.

As the others went back to their warm-ups, still talking and laughing, Tezuka walked over to Echizen and stared at him.

There was a moment of silence before the younger boy shifted his gaze from Tezuka's shirt to a leaf on the ground.

"I got careless," he murmured, and pulled his cap even lower.

"50 laps," Tezuka ordered. "For being late," he added after a moment, though it didn't really sound very convincing to him.

---

_"You like Tezuka, don't you?" _

Golden eyes narrowed slightly. "You're the one who likes him."

He smirked and drawled, "Maybe."

"Che," the boy replied, then turned and walked away, before stopping in his tracks at the next sentence.

"What do you think of Ore-sama's tennis? Is it amazing? Are you astounded?" At each word his feet took a step forward, before finally reaching him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Is it on par with your Buchou's, or better than his?" his head was next to his ear.

A hand smacked his arm away, and he walked off quickly without turning back, before breaking into a run when he reached a corner.

---

Tezuka knew something was up when Shishido Ryou and Oshitari Yuushi turned up at their practice.

"Oi!" Shishido rushed into the courts without anyone's consent and grabbed Echizen's collar, "What have you done! Do you know what you have done!"

He felt a headache rising when he saw the freshman smirk underneath the rim of his cap, and he hurried to them.

"He lost," he said simply, his smirk widening.

Oshitari cleared his throat before handing Echizen an envelope, "Atobe asked me to give this to you, and he wished you a save trip to hell."

Tezuka tried to contain his shock but his jaw slackened nonetheless when Echizen pulled out photos of Atobe in the Hyoutei School's uniform, in the Hyoutei School's _girl's_ uniform.

"Eh, he looks good in them," Echizen smiled, and slipped the photos into his pocket.

"Do you know what you have done!" Shishido shouted again, "He's going to torture us for days! Weeks! Months!" he covered his face with his palm in exasperation, " You know he's not going to take this lying down, don't you?"

Echizen snorted at that comment, and Tezuka's blood froze when he saw the unusual gleam in his eyes.

"You should focus on the opponent in front of you, on the nationals," he told him sternly.

Later, he sat down on the benches and clenched his teeth as Shishido and Oshitari left the school mumbling about Atobe parading the courts in skirts and Atobe being suspended from school for two days.

---

_"Was the uniform too tight?" _

He snarled and backed him against the wall, "A match. Saturday. 3p.m sharp."

Their faces were mere inches away from each other, "I'm sure you'd look good in a skirt too," he whispered against his lips.

---

He shouldn't be doing this. He was his captain. He shouldn't go this far for his team member. It was inappropriate. He was a hypocrite this way.

But Tezuka knew that he had been breaking his rules ever since Echizen stepped into the school courts. Always Echizen. Always for Echizen. Always because of Echizen.

And perhaps, maybe a little for himself too.

"Saturday, 3 p.m. Bring your racquet," he told him after practice, and left before he could see his reaction.

---

Somehow things snowballed from the time Echizen found himself kneeling and staring up at _Buchou_ again, and when Atobe glared at the empty space across the net.

* * *

**END**


End file.
